Bulk bag carrier with pallet

• US 9,010,531 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2013
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: US Bulksak Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Sonoco Development Inc (Sonoco Products Company)
• Inventors: Lowry, James, Nattrass, Gary, Lanier, Ronald Allen Jr., Marrow, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Collins, Raven
• Application Number:
  US14/043,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20140126844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 206/586, 206/386, 206/599, 206/600, 108/56.3
• US Class Current: 206/386
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0012 forming a continuous plane contact surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0059 forming a continuous plane contact surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00089 Paper
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00273 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00288 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00293 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00318 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00343 contact surface being substantially in the form of a panel
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00805 Means for facilitating the removal of the load
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/0087 collapsible pallet
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/1625 with stiffening rigid means between the walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/1668 closures for top or bottom openings
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/1687 specially adapted for the forks of a forklift
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/0033 Lifting means forming part of the container B65D90/0006, B65D90/0026 take precedence; loading or unloading container on or from a truck B60P1/6418; lifting the container using a crane B66C1/663
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A bulk bag carrier for transporting soft goods or granular products is provided. The carrier comprises a flexible bulk bag and a pallet. The bulk bag comprises an upper section that defines a product compartment and a sleeve suspended below the upper section that defines a pocket for receiving the pallet. The pallet may be foldable to facilitate insertion of the pallet into the sleeve.

Claims

1. A carrier comprising a flexible bulk bag, the bulk bag comprising:

an upper section that defines a product compartment for holding products, the upper section comprising a bottom wall having first and second opposing side edges which form part of a periphery, the upper section further comprising a front wall, two opposing side walls and a rear wall, the front, side and rear walls extending upwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall;

a sleeve that defines a built in pocket for receiving a pallet, the sleeve comprising a substantially rectangular section of flexible material depending downward from the upper section, the sleeve having a free front edge, a free rear edge and two side edges, one side edge of the sleeve being substantially coextensive with and attached to the first side edge of the bottom wall and the other side edge of the sleeve being substantially coextensive with and attached to the second side edge of the bottom wall; and

a pallet;

wherein

the front and rear edges of the sleeve are of approximately equal length; and

wherein the pallet fits snugly within the sleeve.

2. The carrier of claim 1:

wherein the pallet has a width and a height; and

wherein the length of the sleeve front and rear edges is slightly greater than the width of the pallet plus twice the height of the pallet.

3. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the pallet is foldable.

4. The carrier of claim 3 wherein the pallet comprises:

two substantially equal halves foldably connected along a hinge.

5. The carrier of claim 4 wherein the each pallet half comprises:

a top sheet and a bottom sheet separated by spacers.

6. The carrier of claim 5 wherein each pallet half further comprises:

a vertically oriented outer wall connecting the top sheet and the bottom sheet; and

a vertically oriented inner wall extending upwardly from the hinge and connecting the top sheet and the bottom sheet.

7. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the front, side and rear walls define four interior vertical corners, the carrier further comprising:

a corner post located along each interior vertical corner.

8. The carrier of claim 7 further comprising:

a flat reinforcement panel disposed on top of the corner posts.

9. A method of assembling a carrier, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a carrier having an upper section that defines a product compartment and a sleeve that defines a built in pocket for receiving a pallet;

folding a foldable pallet into a V-shape;

sliding the V-shaped pallet into the pocket; and

pushing down on the V-shaped pallet so that it assumes a flat configuration occupying essentially all the space within the sleeve.

10. A carrier for granular products, the carrier comprising:

an upper section that defines a product compartment for holding granular products, the upper section comprising a bottom wall having first and second opposing side edges which form part of a periphery, a front wall, two opposing side walls and a rear wall, the front, side and rear walls extending upwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall; and

a sleeve that defines a built in pocket for receiving a pallet, the sleeve comprising a substantially rectangular section of flexible material depending downward from the upper section, the sleeve having a free front edge, a free rear edge, and two side edges, one side edge of the sleeve being substantially coextensive with and attached to the first side edge of the bottom wall and the other side edge of the sleeve being substantially coextensive with and attached to the second side edge of the bottom wall, the bottom wall defining an opening; and

a pallet having a vertical opening there through;

wherein the bottom wall opening is vertically aligned with and similar in size and shape to the pallet opening.

11. The carrier of claim 10, further comprising a bottom chute covering the opening in the pallet and being an integral part of the bulk bag.

12. The carrier of claim 10:

wherein the pallet has a width and a height; and

wherein the length of the front and rear edges of the sleeve is just slightly greater than the width of the pallet plus twice the height of the pallet.

13. The carrier of claim 10 wherein the pallet can be folded.

14. The carrier of claim 13 wherein the pallet comprises:

two substantially equal halves connected along a hinge, each half comprising a top sheet and a bottom sheet separated by spacers, a vertically oriented outer wall connecting the top sheet and the bottom sheet, and a vertically oriented inner wall extending upwardly from the hinge and connecting the top sheet and the bottom sheet.

15. A carrier comprising a flexible bulk bag, the bulk bag comprising:

an upper section that defines a product compartment for holding products, the upper section comprising a bottom wall having first and second opposing side edges which form part of a periphery, the upper section further comprising a front wall, two opposing side walls and a rear wall, the front, side and rear walls extending upwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall;

a sleeve that defines a built in pocket for receiving a pallet, the sleeve comprising a substantially rectangular section of flexible material depending downward from the upper section, the sleeve having a free front edge, a free rear edge and two side edges, one side edge of the sleeve being substantially coextensive with and attached to the first side edge of the bottom wall and the other side edge of the sleeve being substantially coextensive with and attached to the second side edge of the bottom wall; and

a single, unitary pallet disposed within the sleeve, the pallet comprising a top sheet, a bottom sheet and two vertically oriented outer walls extending between the top sheet and the bottom sheet to form a structure having a rectangular profile, wherein the sleeve fits snugly against the top sheet, the bottom sheet and the two outer walls.

16. The carrier of claim 15 wherein the pallet is foldable.